Housatonic Railroad Thread (Maybrook, Berkshire, Pittsfield)

[Jeff Smith]

Thank you for that. We'll await replies.

[NaugyRR]

I'm going to give Mr. Norman the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant between the Danbury area and Canaan, because between Boardman's Bridge and the engine house in Canaan, the only industry is BD. As far as I know, the siding by the small pit on Sand Road in Falls Village is just a storage track.

As far as BD goes, yes, they do receive plastic pellets for medical devices. The track upgrade done by the Commonwealth on their track north of the border, while not done specifically for BD car loads, does in fact benefit their deliveries which come from the CSX interchange in Mass.

And while slightly exaggerated by calling the conditions "exempt", it is well-known the track conditions south of Canaan aren't exactly exemplary, and derailments have happened in the recent past...
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/ ... 037649.php


While some comments on the thread have been exaggerated to mildly dramatic, none of the opinions have been flat out misinformed. I'm friends with employees of the railroad, and even I believe the company has some serious issues.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Thank you Mr. Naugy, I really cannot comment upon HRR Maybrook Line beyond that Penn Central structured their operations so that the both the Gateway once served by four roads (NH, ERIE, L&NE, & L&HR) was no longer needed and that the physical connection to Cedar Hill had been broken.

But I think I've been "on the ground" enough over the years around New Milford, Woodrow, and Kent, to note the continued deterioration of the property (well except along Hatch Pond where some public till gave them some loot to lay welded rail). I further know that the industries Pat's Industrial Development attracted to New Milford, such as Scoville are gone and if the track I observed X-ing on Bridge Street could be to any FRA Class, I'd be amazed. Off-hand, I can't recall any branches of my bankrupt MILW looking that deteriorated.

So, that's where I'm coming from, Mr. XCnoah.

[xcnoah]

I'm going to give Mr. Norman the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant between the Danbury area and Canaan, because between Boardman's Bridge and the engine house in Canaan, the only industry is BD. As far as I know, the siding by the small pit on Sand Road in Falls Village is just a storage track.

INCORRECT

[NaugyRR]

Okay, then tell us, what industry exists between BD in Canaan and Boardman's Bridge? Repeating "INCORRECT" over and over does nothing to add anything of value to this discussion. I took the time to back up the statements in my response, so can you.

[xcnoah]

The larger point is that I don't feel people should post things as fact when they aren't or represent them as fact when they really don't know.

Any rail corridor has value not only in what it currently is, but also in what it might become. It's hard to see why anyone would question or criticize infrastructure investment, especially when they only know, or think they know, a fraction of relevant information.

Not interesting in further arguing specifics as I consider myself pretty well informed.

[NHV 669]

It's not secret information... if you're going to take the time to call out posts as wrong, but can't even offer an accurate correction, your own statements hold no facts themselves.

Passive-aggressively insulting other posters knowledge and walking away isn't "informed". You never argued any "specifics" to begin with, you just made a vague generalization with nothing to back it up besides shouting "wrong!".

[Gilbert B Norman]

Mr. Naugy caught Mr. Google looking North from Bridge Street. Here is "Mr. Me" catching him looking South.

Both shots are dated December '22.

Now I was there - real life for SKS's opening of their Centenary (bring the checkbook, 'Lums) June '23. As can reasonably be expected, the line was more overgrown with vegetation. So maybe, I should concede that track is FRA Class rated, as weeds have no effect upon such.

[NaugyRR]

Noah, seeing as you also think only I deserve supporting information, I'm sharing your PM with the class...


Thank you for correcting me on the Sand Road siding. I was unsure, as noted, and asked one of my lifelong friends that is a manager for Century. He confirmed that Falls Village does indeed ship by rail...

But, that doesn't make Mr. Norman or I any less wrong. That makes two industries on roughly 30-miles of rough track.
*EDIT*: My friend also added they only load/unload rail cars two or three times a year from Sand Road, and that it's a massive PIA having to bring everything across Sand Road to get to the siding.

As far as who I know at HRRC, quite frankly it's none of your business, and not that you need to know, but also no one I get any information from. I also kindly ask you refrain from PM'ing me again.

I grew up here, spent four years at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, continue to live, shop, and recreate here. I know the area quite well, as do several other members on here, including Mr. Norman. As NHV669 said, passive aggressively attacking other commenters isn't going to help anyone learn in anything. You don't need to have "someone on the inside" to know how life and business exists in a given area.

In addition, no one is suggesting the line be removed from existence, or that it was a mistake, or that railroads should not receive any investment. That's not the MO of this board. The fact of the matter is that this is a freight corridor that, while it terminates in a populated area of CT with industry, runs primarily through winding terrain on rough track through a part of the state that has long seen a population decline (to the point where Sharon Hospital is closing their maternity ward). Aside from farming and quarries, there is next to no industry in the Northwest Corner. While it would be great to upgrade track to passenger standards, there's not enough people and businesses along the line in CT to support this. Does that mean I think the railroad should shut their doors? No, they haul A LOT and it works for them and keeps heavy trucks off Route 7 and the local roads. Would I like to see better maintained track and an operator that doesn't lease half their fleet? Yes, that'd be nice.

[xcnoah]

The population of Litchfield County is not declining significantly.

[xcnoah]

NaugyRR Your friend is misinformed.

[daybeers]

Then, again, please correct with real information rather than shouting that things are wrong.

[Gilbert B Norman]

While it would be great to upgrade track to passenger standards, there's not enough people and businesses along the line in CT to support this. Does that mean I think the railroad should shut their doors? No, they haul A LOT and it works for them and keeps heavy trucks off Route 7 and the local roads. Would I like to see better maintained track and an operator that doesn't lease half their fleet? Yes, that'd be nice.

I'm all in favor of keeping heavy trucks off US 7; sure I can take a delay getting to School from Rocky River Inn just North of New Milford on 7 and where I stay (I'm simply too old and set in my ways to take the School up on their $25/ni offer to stay in the barracks), but try telling that to the Porsche's who think 70 is a proper speed and don't care who or where they try to pass (one of their ilk "less than happy" with my posted 40mph driving back from Kent and our Class Dinner to the noted hotel).

Ask the good folk in Litchfield County (well those who have resided there "365" for the past fifty years) and so far as they be concerned, I-89 will never be built - nor will there ever be a Litchfield County International Airport. So you got what you got for transportation infrastructure.

But whatever inbound traffic Century Aggregate generates at Falls Village, it's hardly enough to keep the 60 or so miles Danbury-Canaan (Becton can sure thank the Commonwealth for upgrading a line to benefit a CT industry) up to any kind of standard (FRA Class 3) to handle through freight - let alone Class 4 - and likely PTC as well - for a passenger train, assuming there is an agency out there both agreeable and with deep enough pockets to move forth with such.

[xcnoah]

Century is an originating shipper.

All HRRC traffic goes to and from interchange in Pittsfield. Thus, all cars for customers in New Milford, Brookfield, Danbury, hawleyville and newtown traverse the entire CT portion of the BL and to and from Pittsfield. Thousands of cars a year.

[NaugyRR]

Which literally no one said wasn't the case.

Your original argument was to Mr. Norman stating the track conditions on the Canaan to New Milford stretch were abysmal, and that the line lacked customers between these points. No one said anything about carload counts, the interchange in Pittsfield, etc.

At this point you're just trolling us, and being argumentative for the sake of it.

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